This invention relates to arrow fletching, specifically to arrow fletching constructed of synthetic materials and particularly to arrow fletching fabricated from a man-made material that has the advantages of both synthetic fletching and fletching made from feathers.
In archery, whether hunting or shooting competitively, the archer needs to be able to rely on the steering and stability of the arrow during flight. Steering and stability provide accuracy and speed to the arrow and are created, to a great extent, by the fletching of the arrow. In the past, fletching was made from feathers and then later from various types of plastic and rubber compounds such as polyester, mylar and polyurethane.
Feathers are very light and, when used for fletching, help provide greater speed to an arrow than do the heavier plastic fletching. Such feather fletching equipped arrows, due to their lighter weight, are faster at greater distances and thereby more accurate farther down range. Feathers, however, do have some disadvantages. Feathers are very delicate and damage easily due to rough treatment or passing through or against an object. When damaged, feathers cannot be repaired, but rather must be completely replaced. Such replacement can be expensive, difficult and time consuming. Feathers are not weatherproof. Wet weather conditions can hamper the performance of, if not completely ruin, feather fletching on arrows. Arrows utilizing feather fletching perform well for competitive archers, since weather and obstacles down range are not a problem. However, in other archery applications feather fletching is not the best choice.
In bow hunting, for example, weather and obstacles must be taken into account when designing arrow fletching. Synthetic fletching helps address some of these problems. Many types of plastics have been used as arrow fletching and as a group eliminate some of the drawbacks of feathers. Plastic fletching is more durable, resilient and weatherproof than feathers. Plastics are better able to stand up to typical field conditions, such as rain, snow and brush obstacles, than are feathers. Plastic fletching does not deform as much as feather fletching when passing through or against an object, however, some deformation does still occur with plastic fletching which often cannot be repaired, thereby necessitating a replacement of fletching or arrow. Plastics are also less expensive and easier to work with than are feathers when used as fletching.
The major disadvantage of plastic fletching is its weight. Plastics are considerably heavier than feathers and, as such, when used as fletching add weight to the arrow. This extra weight makes the arrow slower, thereby reducing accuracy and the speed at which the arrow can stabilize itself after passing through an object or encountering a cross wind during flight. For a hunter, the speed and stabilizing time of the arrow often determine whether or not the hunt is successful.
As stated above, plastic fletching will deform somewhat when passing through objects. This is a common problem in hunting where there is often brush that must be shot near to or through. Fletching can also be damaged when the arrow strikes game. Plastic fletching is tougher than feathers but often still is permanently damaged or deformed during use to the point that the fletching or the entire arrow must be replaced. As with feather fletched arrows, such replacement can be expensive, inconvenient, difficult and time consuming.
For the foregoing reasons there is need for an arrow fletching that combines the lightweight, and thereby speed, of an arrow equipped with feather fletching and the durability, toughness and weatherproof qualities of plastic fletching, such arrow fletching being inexpensive, simple and easy to manufacture and repair and filling the needs of all types of archers.